Dombrovskis: Government chose to increase taxes

European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis has told Kathimerini in an exclusive interview that a successful conclusion to the third review of Greece's third international bailout by the end of the year would send money markets a convincing message that the program is on track and close to its end – although it's still rather early to discuss a so-called "clean exit," he said.

The Latvian politician also explained it was the government's decision to raise taxes instead of cutting public spending, and income tax has now failed to meet revenue expectations.

Regarding talk about a "clean exit" from Greece's third bailout at the end of next summer, Dombrovskis indicated that such a discussion was "premature" and that the priority now is to focus on completing the third bailout review by the end of the year. He said 95 prior actions, some of which have been legislated, must still be implemented.

The EU official underlined the importance of Greece meeting a primary surplus target of 3.5 percent next year and creating a more beneficial environment for potential investors as part of efforts to boost much-needed growth